Writing is not apart from my living

“Second Wind”

God’s work is greater and greater in my life, day by day, month by month… I just can feel it!

For June&July’s BIC Bulletin I’ve been asked to write about “Second Wind”… In a marathon a runner may need second wind to finish his race succesfully. It’s like ‘second push/boost’ to provide him more energy to run another half way of the race. I just want to take this time to reflect for the first half year of 2010 that’s already gone by (quickly!)…

After struggling with fear and worry more intensely than previous years, last week I’ve just got a revelation that I pray will change my mind, the way I think, and most importantly, my heart. I realized that worry and fear is sin! They are not just ‘negative state of mind’! Nowadays the world has got used to these emotions/feelings, it’s been a part of our everyday’s life (including mine!), that I didn’t realize worry and fear are serious problems! The root of these is unbelief in God! Unbelief that God takes control very well of our life, unbelief that God able to provide for us, unbelief that God is more than enough and bigger than our problems! And unbelief is a sin! There is even more ironic and sad problem than atheism, that is to say we are believers yet not trusting God wholeheartedly! What’s to believe then?

Realizing this truth, only one act needs to be taken: REPENTANCE! It is a sin, and I need to repent. Not only turn to God, but to also turn away from sin!

And having the word of God as the weapon is very useful in my repentance! I memorize verses such as Matthew 6, Isaish 41:13, Philippians 4:16, verses that promised the faithfulness of God and His sovereign ability in giving me perfect peace to guard my heart and mind 🙂

Previously I’ve never had the same revelation like this one when I was feeling worry or fearful. I feel this time God really want to do a major makeover to my heart! (or maybe actually the ‘project’ has been due for long time in God’s agenda, only me who so stubbornly and foolishly did “DIY” project aka “Do-It-Yourself”…)

I realize today the connection of Hebrews 12:1-2 to my circumstances!

Life is a race, run to achieve the eternal crown!

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Fear and worry are the ‘sin which clings so closely and easily’! These have become unnecessary weights in my race!

God just want me to be totally liberated from this sin and weight!

As His promise in Jeremiah 17:7-8,

7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

Note that the heat and year of drought can come YET this tree (us) does not fear or worry, does not fail to bear fruits, because only one thing: it puts confidence and trust in the Lord, perfect dependence on God!!

Surely this revelation boosts me to move forward my second half race in this year 2010! Praise God!

For now this is my sharing due to time constraint 😛

I don’t want to stop learning in this life because life is all about learning God’s characters and let us be changed by that learning!